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BREAKING NEWS: One reportedly killed in Linden "pandemonium"PDF | Print |
Written by Denis Chabrol and Kwesi Isles   
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 18:11
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linden_injured
One of the injured persons, Allan Wade Lewis, receiving emergency medical attention.

At least one person has been reportedly killed in confrontations between members of the Guyana Police Force and Lindeners protesting an increase in electricity tariffs in Region 10.

Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon told Demerara Waves Online News Wednesday evening that there were four reports of persons being killed with one confirmed so far.

He said the individual killed was a man but he was unable to identify him at the time. Neither police nor hospital sources could immediately confirm the claim.

Sharma accused the police of using both live rounds and rubber pellets on the protesters and described the situation in Linden Wednesday evening as β€œpandemonium.”

β€œDozens of persons have been injured,” he declared.  

The police resorted to firing rubber pellets at protesting Lindeners after tear gas failed to disperse a group that had occupied the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge all of Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses said the tear gas volleys fell short of the crowd since they were fired from the vicinity of the Linden Hospital Complex and residents retaliated by pelting the police with bottles. At least six persons were seriously injured and several more received minor injuries.

News reaching DemWaves state that the advancing lawmen resorted to the pellets and residents encircled them on the bridge and pelted them with bottles.

The residents have used  old vehicles and other debris to block the bridge, a major artery to the mining interior, from since mid-morning until they clased with police around 6 PM. There are vehicles backed up on both sides of the bridge.

Protests have stemmed from the government's introduction of higher electricity rates in the mining town which residents are contending they cannot pay at this time. Businesses in the town have shut down in sympathy with the residents call.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds in an appeal to the residents has urged them to come forward with "earnest, realistic proposals" as an alternative to the increased tariffs introduced from July 1.

"I'm ready for formal proposals. The majority of people want to get on with their lives because we have people who want to stir up fear," he said.

Mackenzie, on the eastern bank of the Demerara River, has been plunged into blackout but the reason is yet unknown.

The Linden Utility Cooperatives Society Limited (LUSCL) for most of Wednesday turned off its supply to residents to Wismar on the western side of the river as part of its protest.

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http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....-in-linden-protests/

 

Breaking News…Three deaths in Linden protests

JULY 18, 2012 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

At least three persons are confirmed dead and several others injured as Police opened fire in Linden, Guyana’s bauxite mining town, on the first day of protests against electricity rate hikes, officials said.
Linden, 65 miles south of the capital Georgetown, is home to most workers of Bosai and Rusal. Bosai allowed workers to join the process.
Those confirmed dead are Lyndon Lewis, 58, Ron Sommerset and Shemroy Bouyea, sources told Kaieteur News.
Residents today began a five-day protest against the electricity rate hike, which was implemented on July 1.

Mars
Originally Posted by Conscience:

Its unfortunate the joint opposition has used the Linden issue to gain cheap political points, Linden was never a State within a state, since the 1970's attempts were made to integrated that community onto the National Grid

You and members of the PPP are a bunch of truly stupid people. Get something in your silly heads. If these people want to protest let them. It is their right as citizens. It is their right not to be killed because at that point you can tip our society into ceaseless violence.

 

If the bloody Syrian army or Gaddafi and hie Tuareg private mercenary army could not keep the peace what the hell do you think are the chances of the PPP when their entire security forces is likely to turn on them? What the hell can keep the PPP in power if the people revolt and start brutalizing you and your police? Are you so arrogant that you do not see that we have a tenuous peace and the obligation of all is to preach peace and refrain from violent aggressive actions?

 

Sell your damn case in democratic ways and restrain those idiot thugs you have as police or in short order they will find themselves on the wrong side of a gun and then you in the PPP will begin your universal chant about the violent negr.oes.

 

I cannot comprehend what goes through the heads of those dunces in office. I hope Ramotar earns his keep and step to the plate and show he has some balls by holding some of these idiots accountable. This quick trigger on protestors has to stop.

FM
Originally Posted by Conscience:

The rule of law must be maintain, Linden is not a State within a State, every citizen has a right to cross that bridge and go about their daily lives.

 I guess if they use that same argument ( ie they are about their lives ) as a counter argument what the hell is the arbitrating consensus point of the disagreement? You shoot them? 

FM
Originally Posted by warrior:

you ppp crime family is so stupid is like a sin,when people protest which is their rights you as the government do not go around shooting people you try to talk bring them to the table one day you fool will shoot a army family and guyana will get a blood bath and you know who blood it will be take a guess

Yes, we are very cognizant.  I thought the Govt asked for a counter proposal, but cheap political gains seems to have won over.

FM
Originally Posted by Gerhard Ramsaroop:

Brothers and sisters, Linden bleeds tonight. Three people are dead...I grieve for my people, for my country. Let their lives not be in vain. We have to come out in solidarity with Linden. Let us lift our voices in our numbers, and lend our bodies in peaceful protest for our brothers and sisters in Linden.

Gerhard, I grieve with you this night.

 

Please tell the brothers and sisters in Linden to draw strength from Gandhiji and MLK . . . show strength in your numbers and do not be provoked

FM
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by Gerhard Ramsaroop:

Brothers and sisters, Linden bleeds tonight. Three people are dead...I grieve for my people, for my country. Let their lives not be in vain. We have to come out in solidarity with Linden. Let us lift our voices in our numbers, and lend our bodies in peaceful protest for our brothers and sisters in Linden.

Gerhard, I grieve with you this night.

 

Please tell the brothers and sisters in Linden to draw strength from Gandhiji and MLK . . . show strength in your numbers and do not be provoked

I will, my brother...if there is any time we must stand together, all of us, it is now.

FM
Originally Posted by warrior:

this is a plot by the ppp crime family to bring back race hate i hope it bite them in the ass

Nah, it's cheap political opportunism exploiting the emotion of people to score points.  If these opportunists had their head in the right place, they would have encouraged Industrial Action, bring the industry to it's knees and get the Govt and BOSAI to bargain.  This is what the sugar workers have been doing against the PNC and PPP.

FM
Originally Posted by Wally:

The situation in Linden is different Base.  This is not Burnham and Jagan confrontation.  The Russian company would not hesitate to mass fire and replace the workers with cheap foreign workers.

I doubt it, Burnham could not get cane cutters, BOSAI could not find mine workers, a higher skilled profession.

FM
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by baseman:
Originally Posted by warrior:

this is a plot by the ppp crime family to bring back race hate i hope it bite them in the ass

Nah, it's cheap political opportunism exploiting the emotion of people to score points. 

I guess that's what you call 3 dead people these days . . .

 

smh

According to this lunatic, the responsibility for these peoples' death lies with the people who organized the protest.

 

The Chinese at Bosai must be proud of the PPP tonight. Gun them down like dogs in the street, Tiananmen Square style.

Mars
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by baseman:
Originally Posted by warrior:

this is a plot by the ppp crime family to bring back race hate i hope it bite them in the ass

Nah, it's cheap political opportunism exploiting the emotion of people to score points. 

I guess that's what you call 3 dead people these days . . .

 

smh

One thing I know for sure is those three people who were killed will be used as martyrs.  

FM
Originally Posted by God:
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by baseman:

Nah, it's cheap political opportunism exploiting the emotion of people to score points. 

I guess that's what you call 3 dead people these days . . .

 

smh

According to this lunatic, the responsibility for these peoples' death lies with the people who organized the protest.

 

The Chinese at Bosai must be proud of the PPP tonight. Gun them down like dogs in the street, Tiananmen Square style.

The political opportunists and the police for being overly aggressive.  The Govt should initiate an investigation.  Seems it was uncalled for.  Innocent people died for no good reason.

FM
Originally Posted by baseman:
Originally Posted by God:
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by baseman:

Nah, it's cheap political opportunism exploiting the emotion of people to score points. 

I guess that's what you call 3 dead people these days . . .

 

smh

According to this lunatic, the responsibility for these peoples' death lies with the people who organized the protest.

 

The Chinese at Bosai must be proud of the PPP tonight. Gun them down like dogs in the street, Tiananmen Square style.

The political opportunists and the police for being overly aggressive.  The Govt should initiate an investigation.  Seems it was uncalled for.  Innocent people died for no good reason.

In a democratic society, people have a right to protest without being gunned down in the street. You can't blame the deaths of these people on the organizers of the protest whether their cause is solid or shaky at best. That's nothing short of lunacy.

 

Let them march until their feet hurt, once they are not destroying property or being violent. They will stop eventually.

Mars
Originally Posted by Gerhard Ramsaroop:
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by Gerhard Ramsaroop:

Brothers and sisters, Linden bleeds tonight. Three people are dead...I grieve for my people, for my country. Let their lives not be in vain. We have to come out in solidarity with Linden. Let us lift our voices in our numbers, and lend our bodies in peaceful protest for our brothers and sisters in Linden.

Gerhard, I grieve with you this night.

 

Please tell the brothers and sisters in Linden to draw strength from Gandhiji and MLK . . . show strength in your numbers and do not be provoked

I will, my brother...if there is any time we must stand together, all of us, it is now.

Be safe bro. The AFC is doing what the people expects. This shooting is like exactly what the British Army did to the Indians when Ghandi led the protest. 

Mitwah
Originally Posted by God:
Originally Posted by baseman:
Originally Posted by God:

According to this lunatic, the responsibility for these peoples' death lies with the people who organized the protest.

 

The Chinese at Bosai must be proud of the PPP tonight. Gun them down like dogs in the street, Tiananmen Square style.

The political opportunists and the police for being overly aggressive.  The Govt should initiate an investigation.  Seems it was uncalled for.  Innocent people died for no good reason.

In a democratic society, people have a right to protest without being gunned down in the street. You can't blame the deaths of these people on the organizers of the protest whether their cause is solid or shaky at best. That's nothing short of lunacy.

 

Let them march until their feet hurt, once they are not destroying property or being violent. They will stop eventually.

Agreed, there need to be an investigation against the police for excessive violence.  Furthermore, I don't understand why Industrial Action was not taken as a preferred course of action.

FM
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Gerhard Ramsaroop:
Originally Posted by redux:
Originally Posted by Gerhard Ramsaroop:

Brothers and sisters, Linden bleeds tonight. Three people are dead...I grieve for my people, for my country. Let their lives not be in vain. We have to come out in solidarity with Linden. Let us lift our voices in our numbers, and lend our bodies in peaceful protest for our brothers and sisters in Linden.

Gerhard, I grieve with you this night.

 

Please tell the brothers and sisters in Linden to draw strength from Gandhiji and MLK . . . show strength in your numbers and do not be provoked

I will, my brother...if there is any time we must stand together, all of us, it is now.

Be safe bro. The AFC is doing what the people expects. This shooting is like exactly what the British Army did to the Indians when Ghandi led the protest. 

Thank you, Mitwah Bhai (big brother).

FM
Originally Posted by baseman:

But I don't understand why non-leathal force was not used.  Seems the police are like the US navy, bit trigger-happy.  It warrants a full investigation.


I am asking myself the same question base. Maybe they were forced to use live ammunition because of the number of people in the protest.  I heard Hinds on Benschop radio today.  He was begging Benschop to intervene to get the people to leave the bridge. Benschop said that Hinds seems to be under the influence of liquor.

 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by Wally:
Originally Posted by baseman:

But I don't understand why non-leathal force was not used.  Seems the police are like the US navy, bit trigger-happy.  It warrants a full investigation.


I am asking myself the same question base. Maybe they were forced to use live ammunition because of the number of people in the protest.  I heard Hinds on Benschop radio today.  He was begging Benschop to intervene to get the people to leave the bridge.  Benchop said on his radio program that Hinds seems to have been drinking.

Just like the shooting of protestors after election.  The larger narrative here is the PNC and their allies are trying to create mayhem as an excuse to retaliate and gain sympathy and add a "race" dimension.  It's part of a distraction as the issue of electricity charges are a losing proposition.  A few people die and everyone forget the real issue.

FM

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